Horwich Black Bull coaching inn plaque to be unveiled

The plaque has been set up on the former Black Bull public house on Church Street in Horwich, currently the Rivington Pub and Grill.

The “distinctive” stone building has stood for more than 250 years, having started life as the Black Bull coaching inn.

It then functioned as the centre of administration for the original village of Horwich, presided over by "The Father of Horwich", Joseph Ridgeway.

In more recent years, it was Italian restaurant Il Toro, before becoming the Rivington Pub and Grill.

Now, a plaque is to be unveiled on Sunday at 2pm to honour the building’s heritage

The Rivington Grill, formerly the Black Bull Public House (Image: Google Maps)

Mayor of Horwich, Cllr Steven Chadwick, said: “Horwich Town Council have a heritage scheme where they regularly put plaques on important buildings, places where important people lived and places of interest.

“The council resolved to mark the Black Bull, which is now the Rivington Grill restaurant, formerly Il Toro. It got four nominations from the community.

“A distinctive stone building, it has been there for over 200 years. It was originally a stagecoach inn in the early 19th century.

“It was also the centre of administration for the original village of Horwich.”

Mr Ridgeway set up the former inn as the centre of administration.

The plaque (Image: Horwich Town Council)

He was the son of the founder of Wallsuches Bleachworks, which paved the way for Horwich to become a thriving village, before the arrival of the Railway Works.

The first workers' houses were built in Horwich in 1801 and they were, and still are, known as the "club houses" — because the Ridgways formed a building club to help their workers buy or rent their own homes.

Cllr Chadwick added: “Workers on the works built all the cottages around it, then Horwich started its boom.

“With the importance of that building at that time when Thomas Ridgeway was in Horwich, it is important to mark that heritage.”